Lock.



n 0 H .6 r a M d G l n e t a P LOCK.

Apphcation filed May 31. 1899.1

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Nrrao STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ALAN ROBE FERGUSSON, on NEW YORK, it. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE FERGUSSON LooKCOMPANY, on NEW JERSEY.

LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,049, dated March 6,1960.; Application filed May 31, 1899. $erial No. 718 872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALAN ROBE FERGUS- SON, a resident of New York city,in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Locks; and Ido hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in looks, one object of theinvention being to provide a lock which will operate to automaticallylock a desk, trunk, or other article of furniture when the same isclosed.

A further object is to provide a lock which will be extremely simple inconstruction, cheap to manufacture, and most eifectual when in use.

With these objects in View the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View illustrating myimprovements. Figs.

2 and 3 are views in section of the same. Fig.

4 is a detail View, and Fig. 5 is a plan view, of the catch portion ofmy lock. Fig. 6 is a detail View of the key.

A represents a desk-top or like device, and A the body of the desk. Thedesk-top A is recessed or cut out, as shown, to receive my improved look13. The lock B is provided with a casing 1, comprising a flat horizontalplate 2, secured to the desk-top by means of screws 3, and an openframework 4, rigid with the plate 2 and disposed in the recess in thedesk-top. The frame 4 is provided at one side with a keyhole-plate 5,which is disposed flush with the outer face of the desk-top.

A vertical shaft 6 is revolubly mounted in the casing l and projectsupward through the frame 4, where it is provided with a coiled spring 7,secured at one end to said shaft 6 and at its other end to the frame 4,for a purpose more fully hereinafter explained. The lower end of theshaft 6, which projects below the plate 2, is provided with a circularhead or enlargement 8, recessed or grooved in one side, as shown at 9. j

A circular tumbler C is secured on the shaft 6 in the frame 4 by meansof a screw 10, screwed into the tumbler and engaging said shaft. Thetumbler C is made preferably convex on its periphery and is providedaround its periphery with suitable projections 11, preferably in theform of letters and numerals, to correspond with cut-out portions 12 ofalkey 13, which latter is made concavo-o'onvex, in cross-section tocorrespond with the contour of the periphery of the tumbler. The tumblerC is also provided on its periphery with an enlargement 14, which servesto receive the end of the key 13 when inserted and also serves to abutagainst the frame 4 and limit the movement of the tumbler, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4. Another projection 15 is also provided on the peripheryof the tumbler O,which engages the key when the latter has been inserteda proper distance and limits its further inward movement.

A catch D is secured in the body of the desk and is provided with acasing comprising the fiat top plate 16, secured to the desk by means ofscrews 17, and the frame 18', secured to said flat plate 16. The frame18 comprises a vertical cylindrical casing 19, open at one side andprovided with parallel flanges 20, adjacent to said open portion. Acircular 8'0 block 21 is disposed in the casing 19 and pro- Vided with apin or projection 22, disposed in a slot 23 in the casing to limit themovement of the block. A disk 24 is disposed in the casing below theblock 21 and separated therefrom by a coiled spring 25. An L-shapedlever 26 is pivotally mounted at the juncture of its arms between theflanges 20, the short arm of said lever being disposed against andadapted to support the disk 24. The end of the long arm of the lever 26is provided with a lug or projection 27, disposed in a hole oropeninginalocking-bar28. Thelocking-bar 28 is disposed in a recess orgroove 29 in the flat plate 16 and adapted, when the desk is unlocked,to bear against the block 21, the latter being normally held flush withthe top of the plate 16 by the spring 25.

Theoperation of my improved lock is as follows: When the desk is locked,the parts will have assumed the position shown in Fig. 2. In order tounlock the desk, the key 13 is inserted, and the end of the key willbear against the projection 14 on the tumbler and revolve the tumbler,each projection 11 thereon fitting into the cut-out portions 12 in thekey. When the tumbler has revolved its proper distance, the projection15 on the tumbler will bear against the key and limit its further inwardmovement. As the tumbler revolves it will turn the head or enlargement8, which when in its locked position is disposed so as to receive in therecess or groove 9 therein the locking-bar 28; but as the head isrevolved it will, owing to the peculiar shape of the groove or recess 9therein, force the locking-bar 28 back to its unlocked position andmaintain the bar in this position while the desk-top is raised, when theblock 21 Will spring upward and hold thebar in its unlocked position.The key 13 can now be withdrawn and the tumbler will, by means of thespring 7, be turned to bring the head 8 back to its locking position.

When it is desired to lock the desk, the desk-top is merely pushed down,and the head 8 will push the block 21 out of the way and permit thelocking-bar 28 to spring into the recess or groove 9 in the head andsecurely lock the parts together.

I would have it understood that my improved lock may be used on a greatvariety of articles, and hence I do not wish to be limited to anyparticular use for the look, but consider myself at liberty to use thesame on any article for which it may be adapted.

Various slight changes might be resorted to in the general form andarrangement of the several parts described without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, and hence I would have it understoodthat I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth,-but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes andalterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with two casings, of a shaft mounted in one casing, arecessed head on said shaft and adapted to enter the other casing, alocking-bar in the last-mentioned casing and adapted to enter therecessed head and means for rotating said shaft to release the headthereon from the locking-bar.

2. The combination with two casings, of a locking-bar mounted in onecasing, a head carried by the other casing and adapted to enter thefirst-mentioned casing, said head constructed to receive the locking-barand when turned, to move it out of engagement therewith to permit theseparation of said casings, and means for turning said head to effectthe disengagement of the locking-bar therefrom.

3. The combination with two casings, of a locking-bar mounted in onecasing, a head carried by the other casing and adapted to enter thefirst-mentioned casing, said head constructed to receive the locking-barand when turned, to move it out of engagement therewith to permit theseparation of said casings, means for turning said head to effect thedisengagement of the locking-bar therefrom and means for maintaining thelockingbar withdrawn until the head enters the easing in which saidlocking-bar is located.

4. In a lock, the combination with a revo luble tumbler and alocking-bar, of a shaft to which said tumbler is secured, a head fixedto said shaft and having a groove or recess for the reception of thelocking-bar, means for maintaining the locking-bar withdrawn when thehead is unlocked and removed there from, said means arranged to beactuated by said head to release the locking-bar and permit it to enterthe groove or recess in said head.

5. As an article of manufacture, a lock comprising a revoluble shaft, atumbler secured on the shaft, a head or enlargement on said shaft havinga groove or recess therein, and a locking-bar adapted to be disposed insaid groove or recess to lock the parts together.

6. In a lock, the combination with a frame, of a shaft revolubly mountedin the casing and carrying a tumbler, a recessed or grooved head orenlargement on the shaft, and a spring-pressed locking-bar adapted toengage said recessed or grooved head or enlargement to lock the partstogether.

7. In a lock, the combination of two frames,- one frame carrying arevoluble shaft, a tum bler on said shaft and an enlarged recessed headon one end of the shaft, and the other frame carrying a locking-baradapted to spring into the recessed head on the shaft, and means foroperating said locking-bar.

8. In a lock, the combination With a frame, of a shaft revolubly mountedtherein, an en= larged recessed head on the shaft, a revoluble tumblersecured to the shaft, a spring se-' cured respectively to the shaft andframe and projections on the tumbler adapted to limit the movement ofthe shaft, and means for engaging said recessed head to lock two parts 3I together.

9. In a lock, the combination of a revoluble recessed headed shaft, alocking-bar adapted to engage the recessedhead, a block normally holdingsaid bar in its unlocked position, an L-shaped pivoted lever connectedat the end of its long arm to the locking-bar, a disk on the end of theshort arm of said lever and a spring disposed between the disk and blockto press said looking-bar forward and at the same time to hold the blockin the path of the looking-bar.

10. In a lock, the combination of a lockingtumbler, projections on saidtumbler to mesh with out-out portions in a key, and another projectionon the tumbler adapted to abut against the key, when inserted, to limitits to inward movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed thisspecification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALAN ROBE FERGUSSON,

Witnesses:

DANIEL O. BEERMAS, A.'BERTON REED;

